A few players were enthused by defensive coordinator Perry Fewell’s willingness to get back to basics this week. The plan is apparently to rid themselves of many on-field checks in favor of getting back to basic schemes that worked last season.

Gone will be the confusion, the “I was right” excuses between players executing different calls, the not-so-veiled grumbling from Antrel Rolle wanting to be a “ball hawk” and the passive approach from defensive backs trying to figure out what to do.

Also eliminated will be the ridiculous rate of third-down conversions by opponents, the quick releases from quarterbacks giving the pass rush little time and the receivers running free for uncontested touchdown grabs.

Well, at least they can only hope all of these things will be cleaned up for a defense that has yet to turn in a dominating performance this year.

“From the front to the back. It’s been everything, it hasn’t been right,” safety Deon Grant said. “But this week (Fewell) got back to, ‘Forget it. I’m going out there with the guys I’ve got, I’m going back to last year’s mentality.’

“He’s been trying so hard this year to call hard defenses to be effective but he was trying to protect certain guys that didn’t know the defense as well.”
We knew exactly what packages we were running in each game, so we knew the defense,” Grant said of last year’s game plans. “We knew how to freak it if we wanted to.”

Uh, what it?

"'Freak it’ means two guys out there used to playing with each other, and he’d do something and I’d piggyback off him. I’d mess up and he’d clean it up for me so it’s not highlighted,” Grant said. “This year you’ve got guys who don’t know the system like that. You’ve got injuries. So you’ve got to try to figure out ways to make it work."

Grant is referring to the rookies, namely linebackers Jacquian Williams and Greg Jones as well as cornerback Prince Amukamara.

Williams has had issues in zone coverage, Jones blew an adjustment from zone to man on a touchdown by the 49ers and a confused Amukamara has allowed a few big plays, including 74- and 40-yarders against the Cowboys and a 20-yard touchdown against Washington.

Grant said the things the Giants did last year were on display in the game against the Patriots. Looking back at the “All-22” coaches’ tape, it’s evident their two interceptions were on simple coverage looks, as opposed to the “complex” calls that have confused Amukamara and even veterans like Rolle and Webster on Dez Bryant’s 50-yard touchdown for Dallas.

Both of the interceptions against New England appeared to be Cover-3 defenses in which the two cornerbacks and a safety (Phillips) had the deep zones, with three linebackers and Rolle patrolling underneath. One interception was a result of Boley’s tipping a pass underneath a route, while the other came when Grant trailed tight end Rob Gronkowski up the seam.

As Grant dropped, he seemed to convert it to man coverage, with Boley keeping an eye on the zone he vacated.

That’s right, they freaked it.
It looked like we played a lot of man last year but we used to mix it up,” Grant said. “We were aggressive because we knew what we were doing. Now, we’re out there guessing too much. Last year, even when we were playing zone, we were attacking. Now, we’re not attacking.”

They’re also not doing what Fewell and his assistants identified as a key ingredient in their defense: matching up “late in the down.” In other words, starting in zone and matching up with a receiver running through it.

Instead, there’s been a lot of standing around zones without making a play on the ball.
“We haven’t done it as well as we did it a year ago,” Fewell said, adding: “It’s a matter of trust, knowing who your partner is and how you’re working with your partner. It’s more of a, ‘I know where everybody is and I know where my responsibilities are and this is how I play it.’”

Fewell wants to see it this week. He has to. In a lot of ways, he’s simplified the game plan by getting back to what worked last year.

And the players like it.

“He’s been doing it week in and week out but he hasn’t been sold on it,” Grant said. “This week he said, ‘It’s do or die.’”

Cloud57

11-12-2012, 08:43 PM

well this defense has been good at getting turnovers so his logic is that playing zone will increase the chances of getting an int. the packers were the same last year on defense but at least can score points on those turnovers.

Eliscruzzz

11-12-2012, 09:05 PM

The thing that pisses me off with his scheme is the corner backs giving wr's free reign to get of the LOS. Last year during the playoffs they were destroying people of the LOS and this year PF is giving them like 10 yard cushions. That is not going to work.

Also he is constantly bringing only four to get pressure rarely do I ever see him send the safety or a cornerback. He's gotta stop thinking teams are going to let them get pressure with just four..it's just not going to happen all the time. We never confuse the other teams offense.

joemorrisforprez

11-12-2012, 09:08 PM

I've noticed over the past few years the Giants don't do anything easy....they'll wait until their backs are against the wall before responding.

I really, really, really hope this isn't the case again.....that would be the 3rd time, and frankly, twice was once too much.

AntB

10-20-2014, 03:13 PM

Too predictable. They let the offensive line get in a rhythm. Have some of the young guys blitz more, not too hard to learn that right? Maybe we should see what the rookie linebacker can do as a blitzer now that he's back. Let Moore play a whole series now and then instead of just one play at a time on third downs.
Maybe it's time to give Stevie Brown another chance over Demps.
Petition the league to let us play defense with thirteen players on defense, five linemen and four linebackers so we might muster a pass rush.

kissjrj

10-20-2014, 03:18 PM

Might as well; hasn't the offense been dumbed down, also? What happened to all those screen passes we were told about this off-season?

big blue dog

10-20-2014, 03:32 PM

this happens every year he will do it this week during the break may be he should take a long look at the missed opertunitys like not moving jpp over doug frees replacement .

joemorrisforprez

10-20-2014, 04:08 PM

Too predictable. They let the offensive line get in a rhythm. Have some of the young guys blitz more, not too hard to learn that right? Maybe we should see what the rookie linebacker can do as a blitzer now that he's back. Let Moore play a whole series now and then instead of just one play at a time on third downs.
Maybe it's time to give Stevie Brown another chance over Demps.
Petition the league to let us play defense with thirteen players on defense, five linemen and four linebackers so we might muster a pass rush.

The thing that pisses me off is they don't even show blitz......they could easily show a blitz to force Romo to audible out of his plays.

Antonio Pierce and Spags used to do that all the time........I'm not calling Spags a genius, but the dude kept the offense guessing a ton more than with Fewell.

BlueWreckinCrew

10-20-2014, 04:10 PM

He dumbed it down pretty good when they had a guy just from practice squad covering dez Bryant

gfanblue

10-20-2014, 04:15 PM

He's already dumb. Too late.

Gee718

10-20-2014, 05:09 PM

It was dumbed down as soon as he thought it up. Defense is pretty beat up anyways....Not much anyone can do as usual.

yo-ho

10-20-2014, 05:30 PM

How about we get back to Giants defense? An attacking style defense that sets a tone, and dictates to offenses instead of reacting to offenses. How long has it been since we had that?

Tommy_Ribs

10-20-2014, 05:45 PM

When your pass rushers don;t win one-on-one matchups and pressure the QB, nothing you do schematically will work.

DaDiesel

10-20-2014, 08:26 PM

When your pass rushers don;t win one-on-one matchups and pressure the QB, nothing you do schematically will work.
Still doesn't explain why we have constant breakdowns in basic zone pass coverage.